Protein fraction characterization of sheep milk from the Comisana breed

This study investigated on the protein fractions characterization of sheep milk obtained by Comisana breed. Milk samples collected by 94 sheep were subjected to RP-HPLC analysis, in order to determine caseins and seroproteins contents. A total seroproteins content of 17.0 g/l was determined, while the total casein content was 39.0 g/l. The seroproteins content was further investigated by RP-HPLC, determining an α-lactalbumin content of 1.6 g/l, higher if compared to dairy cow’s milk, and two variants of β-lactoglobulin, with a content respectively of 16.7 g/l and 11.0 g/l. Since the RP-HPLC did not permit an accurate separation of the different variants of caseins, other studies are currently in progress using a proteomic approach

Triple positive breast cancer. A distinct subtype?

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and within the HER-2 positive subtype this is highly exemplified by the presence of substantial phenotypical and clinical heterogeneity, mostly related to hormonal receptor (HR) expression. It is well known how HER-2 positivity is commonly associated with a more aggressive tumor phenotype and decreased overall survival and, moreover, with a reduced benefit from endocrine treatment. Preclinical studies corroborate the role played by functional crosstalks between HER-2 and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling in endocrine resistance and, more recently, the activation of ER signaling is emerging as a possible mechanism of resistance to HER-2 blocking agents. Indeed, HER-2 positive breast cancer heterogeneity has been suggested to underlie the variability of response not only to endocrine treatments, but also to HER-2 blocking agents. Among HER-2 positive tumors, HR status probably defines two distinct subtypes, with dissimilar clinical behavior and different sensitivity to anticancer agents. The triple positive subtype, namely, ER/PgR/Her-2 positive tumors, could be considered the subset which most closely resembles the HER-2 negative/HR positive tumors, with substantial differences in biology and clinical outcome. We argue on whether in this subgroup the "standard" treatment may be considered, in selected cases, i.e., small tumors, low tumor burden, high expression of both hormonal receptors, an overtreatment. This article review the existing literature on biologic and clinical data concerning the HER-2/ER/PgR positive tumors, in an attempt to better define the HER-2 subtypes and to optimize the use of HER-2 targeted agents, chemotherapy and endocrine treatments in the various subsets

Net gain: Low-cost, trawl-associated eDNA samplers upscale ecological assessment of marine demersal communities

Marine biodiversity stewardship requires costly and time-consuming capture-based monitoring techniques, which limit our understanding of the distribution and status of marine populations. Here, we reconstruct catch and demersal community composition in a set of 24 fishing sites in the central Tyrrhenian Sea by gathering environmental DNA (eDNA) aboard commercial bottom-trawl fishing vessels. We collected genetic material from two sources: the water draining from the net after the end of hauling operations (“slush”), and custom-made rolls of gauze tied to a hollow perforated sphere placed inside the fishing net (“metaprobe”). Species inventories were generated using a combination of fish-specific (Tele02 12S) and universal metazoan (COI) molecular markers. DNA metabarcoding data recovered over 90% of the caught taxa and accurately reconstructed the overall structure of the assemblages of the examined sites, reflecting expected differences linked to major drivers of community structure in Mediterranean demersal ecosystems, such as depth, distance from the coast, and fishing effort. eDNA also returned a “biodiversity bonus” mostly consisting of pelagic species not catchable by bottom trawl but present in the surrounding environment. Overall, the “metaprobe” gauzes showed a greater biodiversity detection power as compared to “slush” water, both qualitatively and quantitatively, strengthening the idea that these low-cost sampling devices can play a major role in upscaling the gathering of data on both catch composition and the broader ecological characteristics of marine communities sustaining trawling activities. This approach has the potential to drastically expand the reach of ecological monitoring, whereby fishing vessels operating across the oceans may serve as opportunistic scientific platforms to increase the strength and granularity of marine biodiversity data

Local spin dynamics at low temperature in the slowly relaxing molecular chain [Dy(hfac)3NIT(C6H4OPh)]: A μ+ spin relaxation study

The spin dynamics of the molecular magnetic chain [Dy(hfac)3NIT(C6H4OPh)] were investigated by means of the Muon Spin Relaxation (\u3bc+SR) technique. This system consists of a magnetic lattice of alternating Dy(III) ions and radical spins, and exhibits single-chain-magnet behavior. The magnetic properties of [Dy(hfac)3NIT(C6H4OPh)] have been studied by measuring the magnetization vs. temperature at different applied magnetic fields (H = 5, 3500, and 16500 Oe) and by performing \u3bc+SR experiments vs. temperature in zero field and in a longitudinal applied magnetic field H = 3500 Oe. The muon asymmetry P(t) was fitted by the sum of three components, two stretched-exponential decays with fast and intermediate relaxation times, and a third slow exponential decay. The temperature dependence of the spin dynamics has been determined by analyzing the muon longitudinal relaxation rate \u3bbinterm(T), associated with the intermediate relaxing component. The experimental \u3bbinterm(T) data were fitted with a corrected phenomenological Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound law by using a distribution of thermally activated correlation times, which average to \u3c4 = \u3c40 exp(\u394/kBT), corresponding to a distribution of energy barriers \u394. The correlation times can be associated with the spin freezing that occurs when the system condenses in the ground state

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Personalizing Cancer Pain Therapy: Insights from the Rational Use of Analgesics (RUA) Group

Introduction: A previous Delphi survey from the Rational Use of Analgesics (RUA) project involving Italian palliative care specialists revealed some discrepancies between current guidelines and clinical practice with a lack of consensus on items regarding the use of strong opioids in treating cancer pain. Those results represented the basis for a new Delphi study addressing a better approach to pain treatment in patients with cancer. Methods: The study consisted of a two-round multidisciplinary Delphi study. Specialists rated their agreement with a set of 17 statements using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = totally disagree and 4 = totally agree). Consensus on a statement was achieved if the median consensus score (MCS) (expressed as value at which at least 50% of participants agreed) was at least 4 and the interquartile range (IQR) was 3–4. Results: This survey included input from 186 palliative care specialists representing all Italian territory. Consensus was reached on seven statements. More than 70% of participants agreed with the use of low dose of strong opioids in moderate pain treatment and valued transdermal route as an effective option when the oral route is not available. There was strong consensus on the importance of knowing opioid pharmacokinetics for therapy personalization and on identifying immediate-release opioids as key for tailoring therapy to patients’ needs. Limited agreement was reached on items regarding breakthrough pain and the management of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. Conclusion: These findings may assist clinicians in applying clinical evidence to routine care settings and call for a reappraisal of current pain treatment recommendations with the final aim of optimizing the clinical use of strong opioids in patients with cancer

Evaluation of Fermi Read-out of the ATLAS Tilecal Prototype

Prototypes of the \fermi{} system have been used to read out a prototype of the \atlas{} hadron calorimeter in a beam test at the CERN SPS. The \fermi{} read-out system, using a compressor and a 40 MHz sampling ADC, is compared to a standard charge integrating read-out by measuring the energy resolution of the calorimeter separately with the two systems on the same events. Signal processing techniques have been designed to optimize the treatment of \fermi{} data. The resulting energy resolution is better than the one obtained with the standard read-out

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

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